SHMD Safety Overview

Date: Mar 2, 2016, 12:59 PM

This weekend the community of South Glens Falls will come together, with the support of many others,for the 39th annual South High Marathon Dance. The South High Marathon Dance brings togetherthousands of people at the South Glens Falls Senior High School, from students, to recipients, to alumni,faculty, staff, and visitors, all united in a common goal of helping others in a time of need. Given the continued growth and reach of this event, the logistics and operations continuously evolve, and safety is akey component.

While there have been concerning events at educational facilities and public places across our nation, theconcept of safety at the Marathon Dance has been in place since the establishment of a dedicated SecurityDetail and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff in the 1980s. In recent years the Dance has addedsatellite parking areas with shuttle bus service to alleviate congestion at the Senior High School andimpact on nearby roads. A Fire Safety Team was created to enforce gym capacity, keep watch for fire andother safety hazards, and ensure egress routes are maintained. In addition, a dedicated law enforcementpresence has been established, uniformed and undercover, prior to, and for the entirety of the event, withperiodic visits from law enforcement canine teams. A safety plan, specific to the Marathon Dance, isupdated annually in conjunction with law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies, and is reviewed with staffprior to the event.

We have a shared responsibility to keep our community safe. Be aware of your surroundings; whether atthe event or in a parking area, take note of any suspicious objects, persons, or potential hazards and reportit promptly to safety or security staff. If you become aware of someone who may have malicious intent,take what you hear or see seriously. Familiarize yourself with bus shuttle routes, building exits, publicviewing areas, and the Marathon Dance schedule. Finally, please be polite to safety and security staff.While certain arrangements may be inconvenient, they are in place for the safety of the students andpublic, and necessary for the efficient operation of the event.

The South High Marathon Dance would like to thank you for your continued support, as well as thefollowing public safety agencies, businesses and groups for supporting the safety mission: the New YorkState Police, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department, South Glens Falls Police Department, South GlensFalls Fire Company, Moreau Emergency Squad, Moreau Town Highway Department, South Glens FallsSchool Transportation Department, Saratoga Springs School Transportation Department, AdirondackTwo-Way Radio, Brinks, The Safety Wearhouse, D.A. Collins Construction Company, Casella Waste,First Baptist Church, Kingpin’s Alley, Mr. Bills, and the United Methodist Church.

Click below to donate to SHMD

About Us

The South High Marathon Dance is a charitable event held every March in the small town of South Glens Falls, New York. Students at South Glens Falls High School, grades 9-12, gather to raise money and dance for an amazing 28 hours straight, all in the name of local people and charities who need help.